Waniya Hudson

Waniya LaRyn Hudson (born June 2, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Damallsvenskan club Kristianstad. She played college soccer for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. She is the older sister of fellow soccer player Wrianna Hudson.

Early life

Hudson grew up in Greece, New York, a suburb of Rochester. She captained her state Olympic Development Program team and played for the regional ODP squad. She committed to the University of Notre Dame during her junior year in 2017.

College career

Hudson made 96 appearances for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 2019 to 2023, starting every game from her sophomore year onwards. She and teammates Eva Gaetino and Leah Klenke formed an Irish defense that was statistically among the best in the country in 2022, keeping clean sheets through the first three rounds of the NCAA tournament before falling in the quarterfinals. She played a team high in minutes in her senior and graduate seasons. On September 23, the Spirit announced that she would join USL Super League club Dallas Trinity on loan for the rest of the year. She made her professional debut on October 6, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 win over the Spokane Zephyr. Her contract expired while she remained on loan on December 31.

Swedish club Kristianstad announced that they had signed Hudson on September 5, 2025. She made her club debut eight days later as a late substitute in a 2–1 win over Växjö.